Abstract
Broiler chickens are rather resistant to deoxynivalenol and thus, clinical signs are rarely seen. However, effects of subclinical concentrations of deoxynivalenol on both the intestine and the liver are less frequently studied at the molecular level. During our study, we investigated the effects of three weeks of feeding deoxynivalenol on the gut wall morphology, intestinal barrier function and inflammation in broiler chickens. In addition, oxidative stress was evaluated in both the liver and intestine. Besides, the effect of a clay-based mycotoxin adsorbing agent on these different aspects was also studied. Our results show that feeding deoxynivalenol affects the gut wall morphology both in duodenum and jejenum of broiler chickens. A qRT-PCR analysis revealed that deoxynivalenol acts in a very specific way on the intestinal barrier, since only an up-regulation in mRNA expression of claudin 5 in jejunum was observed, while no effects were seen on claudin 1, zona occludens 1 and 2. Addition of an adsorbing agent resulted in an up-regulation of all the investigated genes coding for the intestinal barrier in the ileum. Up-regulation of Toll-like receptor 4 and two markers of oxidative stress (heme-oxigenase or HMOX and xanthine oxidoreductase or XOR) were mainly seen in the jejunum and to a lesser extent in the ileum in response to deoxynivalenol, while in combination with an adsorbing agent main effect was seen in the ileum. These results suggest that an adsorbing agent may lead to higher concentrations of deoxynivalenol in the more distal parts of the small intestine. In the liver, XOR was up-regulated due to DON exposure. HMOX and HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor 1α) were down-regulated due to feeding DON but also due to feeding the adsorbing agent alone or in combination with DON.
Highlights
Mycotoxin contamination can occur in all agricultural commodities in the field and/or during storage, if the conditions are favorable for fungi growth [1]
DON and the Adsorbing Agent Alters mRNA Expression of Oxidative Stress Markers in Liver of Broiler Chickens. Both HIF-1a and HMOX mRNA were significantly down-regulated for all the broiler chickens receiving either DON, an adsorbing agent or DON and the adsorbing agent, when compared to the control group
The expression of HIF-1a, HMOX and Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) mRNA was investigated in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum
Summary
Mycotoxin contamination can occur in all agricultural commodities in the field and/or during storage, if the conditions are favorable for fungi growth [1]. Deoxynivalenol (DON), called vomitoxin, is a trichothecene mycotoxin which is highly prevalent in Europe [2,3,4]. Chronic exposure to the toxin can lead to reduced production and an altered immune function [5]. As poultry seems to be less susceptible to DON-mycotoxicosis compared to other animals, infected cereal batches are sometimes diverted to the poultry feed production [6]. Mycotoxin-detoxifying agents are frequently used feed additives to reduce the adverse effects of mycotoxins. Detoxifiers based on clay minerals are classified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as adsorbing agents [7]
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